The Cuckoo star Jill Halfpenny has explained that she joined the Channel 5 drama on one condition: she wanted to play the role of Sian.
In the four-part series, Jill joins The Cuckoo cast as a lodger who starts living with a struggling couple and their adoptive daughter, who took her in due to financial pressures. At first, things seem pretty normal, but it takes a much darker turn.
But the drama could have looked very different, as Jill has admitted that she almost starred in the role of Jessica, which ended up being played by Claire Goose.
Speaking to OK! Magazine, Jill said: "In the initial chats, they were thinking I would be playing Jessica, the person on the receiving end of this drama. It was me who said, ‘Actually, can I play Sian? Can I be the person doing all this stuff, because that seems like more fun."
"I was attracted to playing somebody who was doing these things, rather than having them happen to her."
Jill went on to reveal her love of true crime helped her get into the right headspace for her mysterious lodger character. She added: "It was easy for me to find empathy with her, because I know people can completely convince themselves of something if they want it to be true. They just doggedly follow that idea to the end.
"You see these people on Netflix documentaries all the time, and look how far they go. Whether it’s Dr. Death or The Tinder Swindler, the thing that always strikes me about these real-life stories is the confidence."
She concluded by saying: "Usually people like Sian would prey on somebody who wasn’t feeling quite so confident, which is exactly what she does with this family. She sees they’re in a bit of a sticky situation, she finds their Achilles heel and she just twists the knife."
Across four consecutive nights on Channel 5, viewers will be invited to watch the gripping new drama and learn more about Sian, soon discovering she's hiding a lot of dark secrets.
The Cuckoo starts at 9 pm on Monday, April 8 on Channel 5. Episodes will air until Thursday, April 11 in the same time slot and will also be available on My5.
